Introduced Version

HOUSE RESOLUTION No. ___

Introduced by: Turner, Crawford, Bosma

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A HOUSE RESOLUTION Honoring the Legends Professional Team.

Whereas, Indiana has been known as the home of basketball for the world for generations;

Whereas, Hoosiers are fiercely proud of their basketball tradition, a tradition that begins with youth, extends through college, and culminates in professional level play;

Whereas, A new basketball team has emerged for Indiana, competing in the newly created American Basketball Association 2000;

Whereas, The Indiana Legends and the ABA 2000 marks the return of ABA basketball to its original home, , and marks the return of basketball that is fun, exciting, fast, and fan-friendly, in the Hoosier basketball tradition;

Whereas, The Indiana Legends was team was co-founded by Dick Tinkham, founder of the original American Basketball Association that eventually merged with the National Basketball Association, and founder of the ;

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Whereas, The other co-founders include Joe Newman, President/CEO of Alliance Broadcasting Group, and Allan Zuckerman, President/COO of Alliance Broadcasting Group and an active volunteer in the Indianapolis community;

Whereas, The new team, the Indiana Legends, is destined for greatness, with an all-star coaching staff and outstanding players that will ignite the basketball passion of Hoosier fans;

Whereas, Billy Keller, legendary former player for the Indiana Pacers and the original ABA, former Mr. Basketball, Mr. Three-, enshrinee in the Indiana Basketball Players Hall of Fame, and one of Indiana's fifty (50) greatest players, is the Head Coach of the Indiana Legends;

Whereas, The Legends other teams leaders are Assistant Coach Mike "Butch" McClintock, General Manager Matt Ingram, Physical Therapist Ed Lee, Director of Media Relations Jennifer Dydo, Vice President and Director of Player Personnel Jim Grandholm, and Ticket Sales Account Manager Chad Hardin;

Whereas, The Indiana Legends players are Daimon Beathea from Michigan State, Coleco Buie from Southwest Missouri State, Reggie Freeman from Texas, Paul Grant from the University of Wisconsin, Michael Hart from the University of Tennessee at Martin, DeRon Hayes from Penn State, Ryan Hoover from Notre Dame, Jeff Nordgaard from Wisconsin at Green Bay, Eric Riley from Michigan, Mike Robinson from Purdue, and Tremain Winfield from Texas;

Whereas, The venue for the inaugural season of the Indiana Legends is the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, one of the nation's greatest and most famous sports arenas since its construction in 1928;

Whereas, The voice of the Indiana Legends is News, Talk and Sports 96, 95.9 the New WPZZ-FM radio;

Whereas, The Indiana Legends team members, co-founders and coaching staff have devoted themselves to community

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outreach, donating their time to numerous charities and children hospitals;

Whereas, Indiana Legends ABA 2000 basketball is family- oriented, being affordable, fun, fast-paced and having players whose mission is to provide entertainment for their fans;

Whereas, In the words of Billy Keller, "People don't realize how good this basketball is. We have good quality players. It's fast and that's what turns people on";

Whereas, The Indiana Legends will be playing by the new rules of the ABA 2000, which include the "3-D" rule, when the points are raised from 2 to 3 and from 3 to 4 when a team scores after a stolen possession, and the foul rule, where no player may foul out;

Whereas, The Indiana Legends ABA 2000 basketball has a relentless pace, leading to high-scoring, wild and wooly games that are exciting for fans, and truly invigorate the game of professional basketball; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:

Section 1. That the Indiana Legends ABA 2000 team is honored on the occasion of their inaugural season. Section 2. That the co-founders and coaching staff is congratulated for establishing a professional basketball team that offers all the elements of fun and excitement that are central to the Indiana basketball tradition. Section 3. That the Principal Clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives transmit a copy of this resolution to each member of the team, each co-founder, and each member of the coaching staff named herein.

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